Awakenings from Then ’til Now allows you to Embrace Your Past, Empower the Present, Enrich Your Future.

Welcome to Awakenings

Life IS history in the making. Every word we say, everything we do becomes history the moment it is said or done. Life void of memories leaves nothing but emptiness. For those who might consider history boring, think again: It is who we are, what we do and why we are here. We are certainly individuals in our thoughts and deeds but we all germinated from seeds planted long, long ago.

Friday, March 28, 2014

[While on vacation, I decided this one would bring on a smile or two!]

Today is...

National Weed Appreciation Day

Some sources name March 28, while others name March 29 as National Weed Appreciation Day. Take your choice or celebrate both days!

Weed Appreciation Day? You've got to be kidding, right? I try my darnedest to keep those pesky little fellows OUT of my garden! Why on earth would I want to celebrate an appreciation for something so annoying? They always grow where they are unwanted in competition with other plants, often winning out and becoming totally out of control. It is no problem to name what we all know is wrong with weeds. That is common knowledge. Perhaps we should examine the question in a different perspective that just might shed new light on this weedy matter. Maybe, maybe not!

Natural environments, gardens, parks and public
places are home to huge varieties of plants and flowers, and weeds are
an important part of that ecosystem. A number of plants, actually categorized as weeds, are often intentionally grown in gardens because of their natural beauty. Think about how many of these weeds are in fact edible
and unsurprisingly very easy to grow! Some weeds in fact attract insects, not just any insects, but those considered beneficial insects. This in turn can actually protect crops from many harmful pests.

A dandelion
is a common plant all over the world, especially in Europe, Asia, and
the Americas. It is a well-known example of a plant that is considered a
weed in some contexts (such as lawns) but not a weed in others (such as
when it is used as a leaf vegetable or herbal medicine).Source: en.wikipedia.org

Have you ever had dandelion coffee, aka dandelion tea, or dandelion wine? Even enjoyed young dandelion greens in a garden salad? There are, of course, those times with the dandelions you may have enjoyed as a child. Did you ever rub the dandelion flower on your skin to extract the yellow color? Maybe you made a dandelion necklace? Perhaps you twirled the stems around watching the dandelion seeds swirl through the air. On National Weed Appreciation Day, consider how much fun you once had with dandelions!

Friday, March 21, 2014

Studies show that 62% of U.S. households have a pet...some kind of
pet, whether fish, gerbils, hamsters, snakes, ferrets, turtles, they are
all considered pets (discluding the pet rock!). Dogs rank at the top of
the list boasting 39% of all U.S. households owning at least one
canine, while cats are a close second at 33% of all U.S. households
having at least one cat. Whatever the choice, we love and take care of
our pets often spoiling allow them rotten! Do you walk the dog or does the dog
walk you? Do you have a favorite chair or does the cat sometimes allow you a turn? Such is life with a pet! Let's celebrate one special pet since...Today is...

National Puppy Day

Just Look at That Face!

National Puppy Day celebrates the joy that puppies can bring to
our homes and lives, but also is a great chance to adopt an orphan or needy
dog and to give them home, a loving parent, and a chance at a happy
life. National
Puppy Day was founded by Colleen Paige in 2006 in an effort to educate
about puppy mills and to save homeless puppies around the world.

National Puppy Day is a special day to celebrate the magic and
unconditional love that puppies bring to our lives. But more
importantly, it's a day to help save orphaned puppies across the globe
and educate the public about the horrors of puppy mills, as well as
further our mission for a nation of puppy-free pet stores. Normally
celebrated on March 23rd, this year the date has changed to March 21st.
Click HERE or the photo below to visit the National Puppy Day site.Source: Colleen Paige

Who could not love me!

A Puppy's Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep,
The king-size bed is soft and deep...
I sleep right in the center groove
My human being can hardly move!

I’ve trapped her legs,
she’s tucked in tight
And here is where I pass the night
No one disturbs me or dares intrude
Till morning comes and “I want food!”

I sneak up slowly to begin
my nibbles on my human’s chin.
She wakes up quickly,
I have sharp teeth-
I’m a puppy, don’t you see?

For the morning’s here
and it’s time to play
I always seem to get my way.
So thank you Lord for giving me
This human person that I see.

The one who hugs and holds me tight
And shares her bed with me at night!

Author Unknown

Now give all those puppies, whether
teeny, tiny or great big overgrown sweeties, a big hug and let them know
just how loved and precious they are to you today and every day!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Growing up in the 19th & 20th centuries provides reflections into multiple changes that swept across America. Everyday life, work and play, institutions and values were all affected. During these times, one of the South's mainstays was slavery—brutal and harsh conditions where a person was looked upon as nothing more than a piece of property that could be sold on a moment's notice. It was on March 20, 1852 when Uncle Tom's Cabinwritten by Harriet Beecher Stowe changed forever the way Americans viewed slavery.

For Northerners, the story made them acutely aware of the horrors of slavery far more personally than ever before. Southerners met the book with outrage even to the point of claiming distortions and overstatements. Regardless of the number of likes vs. dislikes, debates and discussions, Uncle Tom's Cabinwas a runaway best seller.

At the start of the American Civil War, it has been recorded that Abraham Lincoln upon meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe commented, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war."

In response to the criticisms, in 1853 Stowe published A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin,
an attempt to document the veracity of the novel's depiction of
slavery. In the book, Stowe discusses each of the major characters in Uncle Tom's Cabin
and cites "real life equivalents" to them while also mounting a more
"aggressive attack on slavery in the South than the novel itself had."

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you until
it seems that you cannot hold on for a minute longer, never give up
then, for that is just the place and time when the tide will turn."~Harriet Beecher Stowe

Synopsis of Uncle Tom's Cabin

"I would write something that would make this whole nation feel what an accursed thing slavery is."

Uncle Tom's Cabin opens on the Shelby plantation
in Kentucky as two enslaved people, Tom and 4-year old Harry, are sold
to pay Shelby family debts. Developing two plot lines, the story focuses
on Tom, a strong, religious man living with his wife and 3 young
children, and Eliza, Harry's mother.

When the novel begins, Eliza's husband George Harris,
unaware of Harry's danger, has already escaped, planning to later
purchase his family's freedom. To protect her son, Eliza runs away,
making a dramatic escape over the frozen Ohio River with Harry in her
arms. Eventually the Harris family is reunited and journeys north to
Canada.

Tom protects his family by choosing not to run away so
the others may stay together. Sold south, he meets Topsy, a young, black
girl whose mischievous behavior hides her pain; Eva, the angelic,
young, white girl whose death moved Victorians to tears; charming,
elegant but passive St. Clare; and finally, cruel, violent Simon Legree.
Tom's deep faith gives him an inner strength that frustrates his
enemies as he moves toward his fate in Louisiana.

The novel ends when both Tom and Eliza escape slavery:
Eliza and her family reach Canada; but Tom's freedom comes with death.
Simon Legree, Tom's third and final master, has Tom whipped to death for
refusing to deny his faith or betray the hiding place of two fugitive
women.

Click HERE for the text of Uncle Tom’s Cabin as originally released in The National Era. You will find each chapter, followed by scholarly commentary, and links to Stowe’s A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin and related materials.

Full page illustration by Hammatt Billings for Uncle Tom's Cabin
(First Edition: Boston: John P. Jewett and Company, 1852).
Cassy,
another of Legree's slaves, is shown
ministering to Uncle Tom after his
whipping.
Image Source: en.wikipedia.org

"The fugitives are safe in a free land."
Illustration by Hammatt Billings for Uncle Tom's Cabin, First Edition.
The image shows George Harris, Eliza, Harry, and
Mrs. Smyth after they escape to freedom.
Image Source: en.wikipedia.org

On March 20, 1854, the Republican Party held its first meeting in a little white schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin. A small group of dedicated abolitionists, former
members of the Whig Party, met to establish the Republican Party. They gathered to fight the expansion of slavery, and they gave birth to a Party dedicated to freedom and equal opportunity.

This first meeting was prompted by the introduction of the
Kansas-Nebraska Act designed by Senator Stephen Douglas in January
1854.The act permitted the extension of slavery beyond the
limits established in the Missouri Compromise. When the act passed in
the Senate, Alvin Earle Bovay of
Ripon, Wisconsin called a meeting of 53 voters in the little white
schoolhouse to organize a new party.

Years later Bovay recalled: “We
went into the little meeting, Whigs, Free Soilers, and Democrats. We
came out Republicans, and we were the first Republicans in the Union.”

The first national meeting of Republicans took place February 22,
1856 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the name “Republican” was adopted. The traditional mascot, the elephant, was published in Harper's Weekly on November 7, 1874 as a political cartoon by Thomas Nast. This is considered the first important use of the symbol.

Winter is officially over! O.V.E.R.OVER! However, we all know there are parts of the country still experiencing chilly winds, snow and icy mornings. But, for all of us, better weather days are finally in site!

What is the connection of International Earth Day to the first day of Spring?

America's story of Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22, 2014. Today, we will look globally at International Earth Day. Its celebration falls on Mar. 20, 2014, which is the day of the vernal equinox, more popularly known as the first day of spring.

"International Mother Earth Day is a chance to reaffirm our collective
responsibility to promote harmony with nature at a time when our planet
is under threat from climate change, unsustainable exploitation of
natural resources and other man-made problems," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
last year for Earth Day. "When we threaten the planet, we undermine our
only home – and our future survival. On this International Day, let us
renew our pledges to honor and respect Mother Earth."

From the tiniest hint of greenTo the red tip of a blackbird's wingAromatic scents of clover Announce winter's finally over

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

This can definitely also be called "Fowl Day" but not because of any bad mood! Let's Talk Chicken! But then also add turkey, duck, goose or pheasant to the conversation. What about dove or quail?

There is a whole range of domestic feathered friends to celebrate today that are
raised for their meat and eggs. Can you imagine a Thanksgiving, Christmas or other special holiday dinner table without the addition of such fine fowls? How naked
would your fancy salad be without a quail’s egg quivering at the top?
How incomplete would that Chicken Pot Pie be without…well…the chicken?

It is for all these reasons and more that we pause and say thank you
to poultry for enhancing our diets and giving us opportunities to fight
over the wishbone, draw lots over who gets the last drumstick, and
encourage sibling rivalry by letting them fight out whose turn it is to
crack the egg into the cake batter. Whether it’s a honk honk, gobble
gobble, or a cluck cluck, it all sounds the same to me – DELICIOUS!What about you?

Not much is known about when or why this holiday came about, but we do
know that for thousands of years chickens have been enjoyed for their
eggs, meat and free live entertainment!

The union of chocolate and caramel is arguably one of the greatest
flavor combinations ever conceived by man. These two ingredients appear
in countless candy bars, ice cream flavors, confections, and desserts. Of course, to top it off even more, just add nuts! O-o-o-o-oH! What a mouth watering delight - the salty with the sweet!

Did you know that Milton Hershey began his career at a caramel
company? In the late 1800s he began experimenting with ways to improve
caramel candy and found some German-built machines for manufacturing
chocolate. His attention would eventually shift completely to chocolate,
but Hershey’s first product was a chocolate-covered caramel!

*****

Returning to Lancaster, PA in 1887, Hershey established the Lancaster Caramel Company,
which quickly became an outstanding success. Utilizing a caramel recipe
he had obtained during his previous travels, his company soared to the
top. It was this business that established him as a candy maker, and set
the stage for future accomplishments.Source: en.wikiipedia.org

What better way to celebrate Chocolate Caramel Day than with a favorite chocolate bar, or a piece of millionaire's shortbread? Suck it in and ENJOY!!

Elvis and a female friend outside his home Graceland in 1957.Image Source: flickr.com

1957, with a $1,000 cash deposit, Elvis Presley agreed to purchase the Graceland southern Colonial mansion from Mrs. Ruth
Brown-Moore for $102,500. (£60,295) —
a 23 room, 10,000 square foot
home, on 13.8 acres of land in Memphis, TN. Vernon and Gladys Presley (Elvis' parents), along with Elvis' grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, moved in on May 16, 1957 while Elvis was still in Holly wood filming Jailhouse Rock.

Vernon
and Gladys, along with Elvis' grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, moved in
on May 16, 1957 while Elvis was still in Hollywood filming Jailhouse
Rock. - See more at:
http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/the_moores_and_presleys_at_graceland.shtml#sthash.4T3BTPKU.dpuf

Vernon
and Gladys, along with Elvis' grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, moved in
on May 16, 1957 while Elvis was still in Hollywood filming Jailhouse
Rock. - See more at:
http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/the_moores_and_presleys_at_graceland.shtml#sthash.4T3BTPKU.dpuf

Who was the Grace of Graceland?

The Graceland property was originally established as a 500-acre farm during the American Civil War (1861-1865) by Stephen C. Toof (Publisher of the Memphis Daily Appeal). Toof named the property after his daughter, Grace. Mary Moore, the granddaughter of Stephen Toof, inherited the farm. In 1939, Mary and her husband, Dr. Thomas Moore, built the two-story Colonial mansion on the land that had been in her family for almost 100 years. There was also a church, Graceland Christian Church, that adjoined the property.

Toof
named the property after his daughter, Grace Toof. Ruth Moore, the
granddaughter of Stephen C. Toof, inherited Toof's farm from his
daughter, her aunt Grace. In 1939, Mrs. Ruth Brown Moore and her
husband, Dr. Thomas D. Moore, built a two-story Classical Revival
residence and outbuildings on the land that had been in her family for
almost 100 years.

Renovations began almost immediately after the purchase of Graceland, including a stone wall around the property. The living space to date expands the area under the roof to 17,552 square feet, not including any out buildings.

ElvisPresley : New Music Gates at Graceland in 1957The musical gates were not part of the property when Elvis Presley purchased Graceland in 1957. Abe Saucer and John Dillars, Jr. (Memphis Doors, Inc.) custom designed the gates. They were delivered and installed on April 22, 1957.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

This was the West. The era when California's economy boomed with the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1849. All that gold - where to keep it and how to transport it became the topic of the hour. Prosperous New York businessmen Henry Wells and William Fargo recognized the need and seized the opportunity to begin a transport company. The two men had already helped with the founding of American Express. They ventured forth again and officially created Wells Fargo & Co. on March 18, 1852 with two primary objectives in mind at its inception: transportation and banking.

One must stop and think about the time and location in which all this was taking place. In California, transportation was in its infancy with the railroads not yet being in existence. This turned heads and eyes toward stagecoaches and wagons to provide services to miners, transport gold and deliver freight to businesses. The six-horse stagecoach rattled over rutted roads with their handlers squeamish only at thoughts of outlaws hiding in the brush awaiting its arrival at a designated point of ambush. Sounds exciting but very dangerous!

Wells Fargo rushed customers’ business from
the urban centers of New York and New Jersey, through the rail hub of
Chicago and farming regions of the Midwest, to ranching and mining
centers in Texas and Arizona, and to lumber mill towns in the Pacific
Northwest. Wells Fargo agents in towns large
and small offered basic financial services like money orders, travelers
checks, and transfer of funds by telegraph. Always, though, wherever
there was mining, from Alaska to Arizona, Wells Fargo guarded the gold.Source: Wells Fargo Since 1852

This day in history marks the beginning of what would provide essential local transportation for decades, and the company still exists today as a major banking institution.

Have you ever found yourself in a totally awkward, meaning AWKWARD!, moment—that moment when 'you wished you could wish' yourself back in time? Wiggle your nose and vanish to a new location, new place in time? Blink your eyes and the entire event simply disappear in a flash? Such moments happen all the time usually when completely unexpected to some folks, of course, more than others.

Today you get to celebrate all of those moments you once wished at the time the ground would simply open up and swallow them to oblivion. Why? Because...Today is...

National Awkward Moments Day

For anyone and everyone who’s ever wished they could turn back the hands of time, Awkward Moments Day is a celebration of
all those crazy, weird moments that made you feel clumsy, bungling, butterfingered, to sum it up in one word, completely maladroit! Those moments that delegated the response "Nice going, grace!"

From walking out of a public toilet realizing you entered the men's room (you are a female) to dragging loose toilet paper attached to the bottom of your shoe as you amble along to realizing you’ve been speaking to someone everyday for a
year when you suddenly have no clue of that person's name, life is full of awkward moments. They happen. Without warning, A.W.K.W.A.R.D. strikes! Ouch!

Although
there isn’t much information regarding the origins of Awkward Moments
Day, many people have commented on how interesting it is that it is the day after St Patrick’s day! Awkward Moments Day can
boast a mascot though, the awkward turtle.

So, if anything awkward happens on Awkward Moments Day, be sure to
see the humor of the situation and have a good laugh about it—before
moving on to the next one!

Dare to share? There IS a comment section! What is your most awkward moment?

For me, it has to be when I was still a classroom teacher. It was on a day, of course, when the Assistant Principal entered my room for an unannounced observation. He quietly took a seat and almost fell out of the chair when I calmly instructed the students to take out their 'workshits!' OOPS! I meant to say worksheets! AW-w-w-wKWARD!

Monday, March 17, 2014

[And I am NOT talking about the sandwich! Of course, keep reading in case there happens to be a connection:-)]*****

How low… can you go? How lo-o-o-ow… can you go?Sounds like we are getting ready for the Limbo, the traditional popular dance contest that originated on the island of Trinidad, but that is not the direction we are going. Think down, deep down underneath the water for when it comes to Submarine Day, we Dive! Dive! Dive! and the depths can get mighty low!

Embrace the Past...

Believe it or not, the concept of an underwater vessel has roots deep in antiquity. Think back to about 413 BC. That's right...BC! Divers were used to clear obstructions according to the History of the Peloponnesian War. Later legends from Alexandria, Egypt, in the 12th century AD suggested use of a primitive submersible for reconnaissance missions. This seems to have been a form of diving bell.

Although there were various plans for submersibles or submarines made during the Middle Ages, the Englishman William Bourne
designed one of the first workable prototype submarine in 1578. His
idea ultimately never got beyond the planning stage. The first
submersible to be actually built in modern times was constructed in 1605
by Magnus Pegelius. It's fate was to become buried in mud.Source: en.wikipedia.org

That brings us to the first recorded successfulsubmarine. It was built by
Cornelius Drebbel in 1620 for James I of England. It was propelled by oars and is thought to have incorporated floats with tubes to allow air down to the rowers. Why would anyone want to plunge beneath the surface of the17th century River Thames? Perhaps the mystery of what lies beneath the water was reason enough!

Today’s submarines are of course far more sophisticated than that
particular oar-powered contraption or the one from 1902 pictured at the right. It is interesting to note submarine roles in military operations have been major for over a century. The amount of expertise that
goes into their design, construction, maintenance and operation has become quite
staggering. One must take into account the inclusion of
navigation and communication networks; sensors, armaments and weaponry;
powerful propulsion systems; and of course, a large number of rigorously
trained and highly skilled men and women, often putting their lives on
the line for their countries.

So today's celebration can take on many forms: Thoughts can center upon the ingenuity and
majesty of the mighty submarine itself, circumnavigate its place throughout
the modern world, or be filled with imagination as to what they’ll be like in a hundred
years’ time. But most importantly, those thoughts should at least momentarily reflect back upon
those lost at sea over the years, especially during war time. Tribute should be paid to the courage of
those who souls are beneath the ocean waves at this exact moment in time.

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About Me

Sharla is a graduate of Troy State University and an educator with a flair for writing in poetic verse. Her latest book, Awakenings from Then ’til Now is available from Tate Publishing. It is dedicated to those who laid the foundation and established the platform for our American freedom: those who have served in the past, presently serve, or will serve our military forces in the future. A profound appreciation is extended for the sacrifice of these brave men and women who left or will leave their homes and family to ensure America’s freedom endures.

A grave price is being paid every moment of every day of the year for all the freedom America has to offer. Let us not forget those who have fought or are fighting for our nation; they are the epitome of the human spirit called freedom!